Unexpected Domestic Life
by lovestimelords
Summary: The Eighth Doctor had had enough of the time war and Time Lords and made himself human. It was supposed to be temporary, but he has lost his companion, the keeper of his fob watch, and lives his human live uneventfully until meeting Rose Tyler.
1. The TA and Rose Tyler

Twenty-one-year-old Rose Tyler was struggling in her astronomy class. As part of her sociology degree requirements, she had to take some core classes. According to her adviser she had been putting off the science classes long enough if she wanted to graduate on time. Her friend Macy had convinced her that astronomy was easy. Maybe it was for Macy, or for someone who had already taken physics but for Rose it was an uphill battle. Without help, it would be a miracle if she achieved a passing grade.

Most of her classes were online, but this was one of the few that was not offered online. Something about "hands-on" experience, but they had yet to do anything but listen to the lecturer and take exams.

She gazed over at the teacher's aide. Her problem with seeking help was that she found the TA extremely attractive. John Smith had, what some of her friends called, bedroom eyes. His loose brown waves fell around his ears and when he smiled at another student, her heart fluttered. She would have asked for help sooner, if not for the crush she was nursing and the fact that he graded her assignments. Of course in that large of a class, he wouldn't know her by name yet, but as soon as he did, he would know just how dumb she was. He was a doctoral student in astrophysics and she was a low-average to average student.

She made up her mind; it wasn't worth failing the class. As she stood up her legs felt weak and her heart began to race. She tried to calm herself down, _it's not like he could possibly be interested in me anyway_. She walked over to the desk beside the lectern and waited for him to finish with a girl that was very obviously flirting with him. She tried not to listen, but the green monster inside her heart pricked its ears.

"So you know after my tutorial we could maybe have tea," the redhead asked him, twirling her hair around her finger.

His face went stern, "I'm afraid that would be extremely inappropriate. I will see you Saturday at 1:20 for your tutorial only."

The redhead dropped her shoulders and sheepishly exited the room.

 _Well, there goes that_ , she thought. _He turned her down and she's prettier than me._

"Can I help you," John said, breaking Rose out of her thoughts.

"I -er I am having some trouble with understanding dark matter and er gravitational lensing and all that stuff. " _God, do I sound like such a half-wit all the time?_ "I was wondering if I could get a tutorial session?"

He smiled again and her heart tried to jump out of her chest. "Ah, yes." He looked down at his planner. The margins of which were covered in scribbles, words, and odd symbols. "This week I have a morning appointment available on Saturday and two afternoons on Sunday, which would you prefer," he asked while still studying his planner.

 _The sooner the better - I really need to pass this course._ "Saturday - oh no wait I have to work -er uh Sunday, what times are you free?"

He briefly consulted his planner. "2:50 and 3:20," he replied.

"2:50 is good."

He glanced up at her again, "And your name?"

"Rose, Rose Tyler."

He scrawled her name under Sunday followed by 2:50. "Well, Rose Tyler, I shall see you Sunday at 2:50," he beamed up at her.

As her cheeks flamed, she knew right then and there that she was in trouble.

* * *

"God, Mum, I said I'm sorry. You nagged me for ages to make something of myself and when I try you nag me for something else. I'm beginning to think you're not happy unless you're unhappy about what I'm doing."

"Now that's not fair," Jackie retorted. "It's _your_ birthday after all. I just wanted to celebrate with my daughter, but I guess that's too much to ask."

Rose put a throw pillow to her face and half-screamed into it. "Mum. Seriously. It's only a 30 minute appointment and it's not far - I'll be gone an hour tops and it's not even during lunch or dinner so I don't know what you're complaining about unless – "Rose eyed her mother suspiciously, "Are you planning a surprise party?"

Jackie was crestfallen. "I just wanted to do something nice for you. You've never had a surprise party and you're doing so well with staying in university and keeping a job."

"Oh Mum. I appreciate it but it's not even a special birthday. Just 22. Look, what time is is supposed to start?"

"Three. At Dominick's."

"That's perfect, it's close to class and I should be round about 3:30. Just phone everyone up and tell them it won't start until 3:30. There's plenty of time. Hey - I'll even act surprised if you want," she grinned at her mother.

"Okay sweetheart." Rose hugged her mum and went to her room to study.

* * *

Lately, Rose had been having trouble sleeping. When she tried to sleep, her mind would not shut down. She worried about sleeping past her alarm, getting sick and missing work or class, forgetting assignments, and passing her astronomy course. It's not something she wanted to tell her mum, seeing as how it was due to her mum's pushing that she was so busy and stressed. While on the phone, she confided in her friend Paula about her anxieties.

"Taking sleeping pills doesn't really put me to sleep. They just make me miserably tired," she sighed at her friend.

"I'll tell you buffing my bonnet puts me straight to sleep."

"What?" Rose was confused, distracted by doodling hearts in her astronomy notebook.

"You know, taking care of business. In the downstairs department."

The pencil point broke and Rose's eyes widened in shock. "Paula! You're so bad," she laughed.

"I'm serious. Like a light," Rose heard her snap her fingers over the line.

"I've never," she paused, "you know, done that before."

"Oh it's easy, just think of a hottie and get to know _yourself_ ," she stressed the last word.

"I don't know..."

"Okay well I'm just putting it out there as a suggestion. Listen, I gotta run. Study group soon."

When the digital clock chimed softly at 2:00am, Rose was more stressed than when she lay down at 11. "Only five hours until I have to get up," she murmured to herself. Paula's advise kept popping into her head, but she was reluctant to take it. "But," she reasoned with herself, "I have to do something."

Twenty minutes later, she was now sexually frustrated as well as stressed. _I can't even do this right. Maybe the hottie isn't hot enough._ She let her mind wander over different actors, artists, and men she knew from her classes when suddenly John Smith popped into her head. She gasped, both from guilt and surprise at how well it was working. It was really working for her.

By 2:24, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Rose sat on a wooden bench outside of her professors office, where the devastatingly handsome TA who had unknowingly helped her fall asleep three nights in a row was now talking on the phone. Her cheeks were hot with guilt and shame and she couldn't stop jiggling her foot. She got up to leave – he didn't know she was here yet – but then sat back down. Even if he didn't catch her leaving, he would certainly question her about missing the appointment next class. It would not be a good impression on the person who grades her work. Then there was the fact that she needed the help. The sound of his voice ceased and she heard some rummaging and then a chair squeak. Before she could react and bolt on instinct, the door opened.

"Miss Tyler. I know it's a bit early but you can go ahead and come in. I need to look up your records before we start." He held the door open for her with a slight smile.

He gestured to a chair for her and sat down behind the desk. Rose slid into the proffered chair and crossed her legs nervously, interlocking her hands.

He pulled the computer keyboard closer to him and made a few clicks of the mouse. "Okay I'm going to need your ID number and your date of birth."

"My ID number is D73629 and my birth date is April 27, 1986," she told him while he entered the information in.

"Oh, today's your birthday," he marveled. "Happy birthday!" He grinned at her.

"Yes, well I sort of forgot when I made the appointment." _I don't think it's possible to sound more idiotic than I do already._ "Worried about my grade, you know."

"Right, right. I feel like I should offer you some tea or something since it's your birthday, but alas! I have nothing." He worked the mouse for a short while longer and said, "Hmmm. Yes yes yes yes yes, it's good that you came in although I'm wondering why you've waited until the course is three-quarters over with. Especially since it looks like you're set to graduate in December, but not if you have to re-take a course. It's going to be harder to catch up now."

To say Rose was embarrassed would be an understatement. She stammered, "Er well stubborn independence I guess." She chuckled weakly. "I hope it's not too late," she worried.

"Well there are two exams left, and you need to earn a total of 170 points to pass. That means you will need an average of 85 on the final two." He leaned back in his chair. "I think it's possible if you work hard. I will also speak with Dr. Conlon and ask him if you can do the extra credit worth 50 points. I warn you though, it will be a research paper and you'll have to visit the observatory with me at night. Does that sound fair?"

Rose let out a breath she had no idea she was holding. _You have no idea._ "That's more than fair."

He swiveled around in the chair and picked up a stack of binders from the bookshelves. "Now, you mentioned dark matter and gravitational lensing, correct?"

35 minutes later, Rose understood a little more about gravitational lensing, and a lot more about John's eyes, hair, smile, and voice. It was a wonderful voice, and not hard to listen to. She wished that he were the lecturer and not Dr. Conlon. The professor had a monotone voice and always seemed bored. When John spoke about astronomy, you could tell that it was one of his passions. _Those eyes though, they must be a color found only in Heaven._

"So, I'll see you in class tomorrow, and provided Dr. Conlon agrees, you can come to the observatory with me Tuesday night to start your research." He stood up to see her out, and Rose tried to stand but unbeknownst to her, one of her feet had fallen asleep and she stumbled and ended up falling into John's arms.

"Sorry-sorry" "No I'm sorry." He steadied her and she leaned on the desk for support. "Are you okay," he questioned.

"Sorry my foot's alseep," Rose admitted while she wiggled it and grimaced.

"Quite all right," John faltered. He seemed a bit flustered and ran both of his hands through his hair one after the other. After a pause he asked, "Better yet?"

"It's getting there. Say, how long until you become a doctor?" she inquired, trying to get him to talk more to dispel the awkwardness.

Something dark flashed across his face, but then his eyes lit up, "Oh if everything goes as expected with my dissertation, I should be done in December."

"So we might graduate at the same time?"

"Yes, I suppose so." They both heard a knock at the door. His next appointment had shown up, and it was past time. "Right. Miss Tyler," he nodded and opened the door to let her go. She heard his sharp intake of breath as her shoulder accidentally brushed up against his chest. _So he felt it too. If he's all about appropriateness, I can't wait for the end of this class._


	2. Observations

_He smelled so good._ Her hands burned with the sense memory of the solidness of his chest _._ Rose was around the corner from Dr. Conlon's office, back against a wall, processing what had just happened. This encounter was going to give her a lot more fantasy fodder and make it harder to ignore her infatuation. She sighed when she remembered that she had somewhere to be, and started making her way toward the bus stop while calling up her mum on speed dial.

It went straight to voicemail, thankfully. Had Jackie answered, she would have fussed the whole time Rose was riding to Dominick's. She loved her mum fiercely, but the woman could be a bit of an annoyance. "Mum, I'm going to be another ten minutes late, sorry the meeting ran long. See you soon, bye." She hung up and hopped on the bus.

The party was not a blowout, but it was decent until her ex-boyfriend Mickey happened to show up at Dominick's with his new girlfriend. She wasn't hung up on Mickey at all but it made her realize that she was lonely. They had split on amicable terms, promising to be friends, but he had begun to avoid her calls and stop responding to her texts soon after. Possibly the new girl had something to do with it. Their eyes met and she waved, but he looked away and never came over. _Must've been right about the new girlfriend,_ she mused.

She let her mind wander back to John while Jackie told her friends stories she'd already heard loads of times. There were only four more weeks of class. Then it wouldn't be against policy if they were to get involved. If she suddenly made a high mark in the class right before they got together, then there could be an investigation if her fellow classmates complained. But she didn't know anyone in that class anyhow and there was no way for her to earn a high mark without grade tampering.

She was smitten and lonely and John was hot. Now if she could just keep her hands to herself for four more weeks and not scare him away.

John usually had a smile for everyone who entered the classroom, but on Monday, when Rose made it in, he looked down and uselessly shuffled some papers. After yesterday, she was almost certain he was attracted to her and she no longer felt guilty for using him as her sleep aid. Tripping because her foot fell asleep and brushing up against him were accidents - happy accidents - but accidents nonetheless and she would not take blame for them.

At the end of the lecture, John was obviously trying to hurry and gather his things to leave but Rose would not be so easily deterred. She wanted to ask him about the extra credit he had offered.

"'Scuse me, Mr. Smith? Were you able to ask Dr. Conlon about the extra credit?"

John hesitated, "-er yes. He said it would be fine since your attendance is perfect." He continued to make a show of getting his papers organized but was really disorganizing them for lack of paying attention. The fuss he was making caused him to knock his water bottle off of his desk. It rolled toward Rose and she bent to retrieve it.

"Thanks," he said, eyes still glued to the chaos on the table in front of him.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"You never said when to be at the observatory," she stated. "You said you had to let me in."

"Oh. Right. Yes. The main gate at 11:00pm. It'll be chilly; bring a jacket." Having finally gathered all of his papers up in a rather messy fashion, he turned to leave.

"Tomorrow night, right?"

He stopped and turned around, finally looking her in the eyes, "Yes, tomorrow night. 11. Don't be late, I have work to do."

It wasn't chilly, it was downright cold. At five minutes past 11, John had yet to show. She didn't know if he was already there or if he was going to be arriving. She heard a door slam from the direction of the building complex and turned her head. John was walking to the gates while sorting through a large ring of keys.

After selecting a key, he noticed Rose at the gate and began to jog to cover the distance. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he fretted while turned the key in the lock. "Time got away from me."

"It's fine," she replied.

He said nothing more but when he opened the gate inwards, he stood behind it to allow her to pass. He locked it behind her and she walked behind him to the observatory in silence, their feet crunching on the gravel. In class, he was usually in a suit, but now he was in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and she couldn't help but enjoy the view that was presented to her.

After getting inside, he took her through a long hallway to the room of the main telescope. The dome was open making it only slightly warmer in the telescope room than it was outside. She stopped and gaped in astonishment at the sheer enormity of the telescope. It was something she'd seen it in pictures, but she could truly appreciate it once she was in front of it.

"There's usually one or two others here at night, but tonight it's just me. And you. Time was, at night observatories would be busy. You'd have to make reservations months in advance and your time was limited," John sighed. "Now, the lazy ones let the computers do the observing," he added distastefully. He stared up at the open dome for a moment then seemed to remember himself, cleared his throat, and he was off.

He traveled across the room at a fast clip stopping to put on his glasses and peer at at one monitor. Frowning, he shook his head and continued on to a table strewn with papers. He jotted something down and waved Rose over.

"I know it's here somewhere," he muttered to himself. She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets while she waited for him whatever it was he was looking for. "Here we go," he handed her a slightly crumpled paper. "This is your extra credit assignment. I take it you brought a notebook?"

"Yeah, in my backpack," she replied as she shrugged it off.

He pointed at one of the nearby monitors. "This screen will have the information you need on it. I'll give you a few minutes to read the assignment but it's pretty straightforward. Just record the data at ten minute intervals and on your own time, make a spreadsheet, graph it, and write a short paper with three sources. You'll need about two hours' worth of data. Got it?"

"Think so."

He nodded and took his own notebook sat in a rolling chair and rolled over the the monitor he had stopped by.

Rose looked around for another chair, and finding one, made herself comfortable at the assigned monitor. After reading the assignment and finding it was something she shouldn't have any trouble with, she recorded her first bit of data and set her phone to vibrate every ten minutes. She slumped down in the chair and swiveled around. His back was to her. She blew her bangs out of her face and slumped lower. This was going to be a boring night.

Rose had given up getting this man to talk. Any statements she made were rewarded with a non-committal "hmm," and questions were answered with as few words as possible. _I wonder if he is being monosyllabic because he's really that into his work, or because he is avoiding me. Probably both,_ she decided.

It was fun to watch him though, not that there was anything else to do during those 9 minutes when she wasn't copying down numbers. He'd occasionally mutter to himself and slide from one computer to the next, flip switches, type on a keyboard, write something in his notebook, or sit back and muss his hair. Rose was willing to bet he had completely forgotten about her.

Both Rose and John started when they heard shouting from outside. He stood up, tense, and made a motion as if to take something out of a breast pocket - of which he had none. A brief look of confusion crossed his face that was replaced with a stony hardness that was almost scary. Rose stood up as well and joined him in looking in the direction the voices came from.

"Should I call the police," she asked, gripping her phone.

"No, no. We have security guards," he turned back towards the work station he'd been sitting at and picked up the receiver of a phone. He had pressed but one number when a loud bang sounded from behind them. It came from the hallway that they had entered from.

Automatically, John put himself between the noise and Rose and took her right hand in his left, phone receiver forgotten. "Who's there," he shouted, his voice booming across the telescope dome.

Infinite seconds passed without a sound.

"I said, who's there," he enunciated forcefully.

When they heard footsteps coming down the hallway, he tightened his grip on her hand.

A voice said something she couldn't understand, but John must have recognized the voice, for his body relaxed and he let go of her hand.

A thin man in a security guard outfit appeared. "Oh hello, Mr. Smith. Caught some kids trying to get over the fence. Just wanted to come check on things in here. All right there?"

"Everything is fine, Earl, but what was that noise?"

"Oh, just my nightstick banging against the doorjamb when I came in. Echoes something fierce. Sorry about that."

John gave a quick smile to Earl. "Quite all right."

Earl nodded. "I'm going to get back to my rounds," Earl stated as he turned and walked away.

When John turned around to face Rose, they both noticed how close they were to each other. Their eyes locked and both were breathing a little harder than normal. Rose broke away first.

"Er- yes." He finally moved away from her. "I need a water, how about you? Water? Fizzy drink?"

"Yeah water I guess, thanks."

John exited through a different door to fetch the water. Her eyes were drawn down to his notebook and she noticed that this one was covered in the same kind of drawings and symbols that his planner was. Rose's phone buzzed again and she recorded yet another set of data.

She looked behind her when she heard the door that John left through shut. "That was more excitement tonight I think than there has been here in years," he offered, a slight smile playing on his lips. He sat down in his chair and rolled over to where Rose was sitting, putting a bottle of water in front of her. "May I see," he asked, gesturing to her notebook.

She pushed the notebook his way and watched him go over her notes. "I really appreciate the extra credit. My mum would flip if I failed a class now when I'm so close to graduating."

"One of those types, is she," he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You've got no idea. I'm only started doing this because she wanted me to make something of myself and not be like her: struggling all of my life. She doesn't realize that she doesn't need to push anymore; I'm doing it for me now too. I guess she's nagging because she cares and that's how she thinks things get done. I don't know."

"Ah, parents," he murmured.

"Sounds like there might be a story there," she smiled, "what are yours like."

There was a long pause. "I don't remember," he confessed.

She peered at him curiously, waiting to see if he would elaborate, and when he didn't she asked, "I'm sorry, did they pass when you were young or..." she trailed off.

"No. Well, I don't know. The first memory I have is waking up in a hospital four years ago. I was told I had been in an abandoned building when it collapsed and had been in a coma for a week. Head trauma," he tapped on his temple with a finger and stared into the distance before beginning again. "They had found two bodies as well as me. I had had identification on me, so at least I knew _who_ I was, and where I lived. But in the apartment where I had lived, there were very few personal items and no clues as to my background or family. I discovered one of the bodies had belonged a roommate I had no memory of." He ran both of his hands over his face. "I felt so much guilt for surviving and not remembering, and the police questioning my amnesia didn't help."

She touched his hand, "That sounds awful."

The corners of his mouth twitched down more and he sighed. "The only things I knew about myself were my name and that I was getting my doctorate in astrophysics. I've searched and searched. I can't find anyone that I knew before the coma. Even my advisor didn't recognise me. If it hadn't been for the therapist I was assigned after I was released from the hospital, I don't know where I'd be. Certainly not on the cusp of finishing a doctorate." John made eye contact with Rose, "He convinced me to go on with my doctorate because I must have been passionate about it. He believed it would eventually restore my memories. So far, they're still blank."

Abruptly, he stood and turned away, rubbing his forehead with his hand. He looked so distressed that it hurt Rose's heart. She got up as well and pulled him back round and wrapped him in a comforting hug. For a moment he wore an expression of panic, and didn't return the hug, but squeezed his eyes shut and gingerly put his arms around her back. They both mutually pulled slightly away, still touching, and when Rose stretched up to peck him on the cheek he turned his head at just the same moment and she ended up kissing the corner of his lips.

Rose's phone vibrated loudly against the table and John backed away as if Rose were hot.

For a while neither said anything and both were avoiding each others' eyes. "I think we have a problem," Rose spoke up.

"Yes, I've observed as much," he replied.


	3. Four Weeks

"I'm very sorry. As the educator and the elder one, I should not have put us in this situation," he started.

"Excuse me, Mr. Smith," Rose interrupted, crossing her arms, "but I'm not some doe-eyed teenager. I'm a fully grown woman who senses a mutual attraction between us. You're kind," she insisted, "you care about your students passing, you are honorable, your face isn't bad to look at and all right you've got a nice bum as well," she paused. "I feel something here that I think is more than just a crush, and I think you do too or you wouldn't have told me your story." She waited for him to respond. "Well," she challenged, "am I alone here?"

* * *

"It doesn't matter. Don't you understand that this," he flung his arm out toward the telescope, "is all I have?" He pleaded, "I have no past, only my future to look forward to, I can't risk it all for someone I've just met, no matter - " he stopped suddenly.

After a beat Rose demanded, "What? What were you going to say?"

John sighed in defeat, "No matter how drawn to her I feel."

"Okay, so the facts are, that A: we both desire each other, B: as long as you remain my professor's teacher's aide, we cannot get involved, and C: there are only four weeks left of this class. Did I miss anything?"

After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.

"What day do you submit grades?"

"I don't do that, Dr. Conlon does. But I do know that grades are due at midnight by May 23rd."

She ripped a page out of her notebook, dug around in her backpack and produced a roll of clear tape. Then, she wrote something on the paper, folded it closed, taped it shut, and wrote again on the outside. She tossed the packet at him and he caught it.

"Do not open until 24 May 2008," he looked up at her questioningly.

"So here's what we do. We will not be alone together again, I don't want to jeopardize your work and your dissertation. I'll hire a tutor, use the internet, get in a study group, or something else. You can make sure Dr. Conlon grades my paper. You will open that packet on May 24th and you will call me using that number."

"Demanding," he said thickly.

"Just," she began, looking at her hands, "just don't fall for anyone between now and then.

"Muss Tyler, I'm hardly a Casanova. I haven't been out with a soul since my first memory." Softly he added, "besides, it might be too late to stop myself falling for someone."

"Yeah?" questioned Rose.

"Yeah," he assured her.

They stood around awkwardly until Rose spoke up. "As far as the rest of tonight goes, I have a question. Do you think I have enough information to do the extra credit?"

Clearing his throat, he answered, "It's better to have more, but I'd say you have the bare minimum."

She shoved her notebook and assignment into her backpack and put it on. "Right then, I'm going to go. Let me out?"

Down the hallway, she led the way, and briefly wondered if he was watching her in the same way that she had watched him while she followed her in. She resisted the urge to turn around and check, and instead focused her energy on the plan she was formulating to make sure he didn't forget her in the time that would pass before he could call her. Her heart raced with anticipation.

When she made it to the gate, she stood aside and waited for him to unlock it. He opened it and held it open for her, not standing behind it as he had done earlier when she had arrived. Wiping her palms on her jeans, she decided to go through with her idea.

Very quickly, she pressed her lips to his and was happy and surprised when he kissed back. The kiss deepened and though she felt that almost everything was right, the man, the scene, and the chemistry, she knew that the time was not right and drew back.

"Make sure to remember me," she said.

He simply nodded, shocked, as she jogged away

* * *

Rose sat at a table in a restaurant with her study group. She had seen John Smith in two more class periods since the night at the observatory. Thankfully, he was no longer trying to ignore her, but was treating her the same as the other students. This was absolutely fine with Rose, however every time she opened her astronomy book at home her mind kept going back to the observatory. True to her word, she sought out this study group and made use of online materials to work on her grade. Her paper had received almost full credit, graded by the professor, and the next test was in just two days. She felt ready for this one though.

She snapped out of her reverie when she heard the teacher's aide mentioned.

"Kara asked him out and he said it was 'unprofessional.' Bet he has a girl - that's the only way anyone could turn her down," said the girl whose name Rose couldn't remember. It was either Isobel or Anabell.

"You could get lost in those eyes, but the man has to be near thirty and probably married. Kind of gross I think; Kara's barely 19," Penny gossiped. "Good to look at yes, but not to date."

"Hmmmmm maybe for an affair then," Anabell or Isobel replied, fluttering her eyelashes. The whole table burst out into scandalized laughter except for Rose, who chuckled weakly.

* * *

Rose clicked the refresh button at the top of the browser again. There was still a "-" in the place where her next-to-last exam grade would eventually be. The test had felt easier than all of the previous tests and she was hoping for a better grade.

There was a knock at her bedroom door. "Rose, sweetie, come watch this movie with me. You need a break. I'm making some popcorn."

She glanced longingly at her screen and refreshed one more time; still no grade. Sighing, she closed the lid of the laptop and went to join her mother in the livingroom.

By the end of the movie, Jackie had fallen asleep and Rose adjusted the throw to cover her better. Then, restraining herself from running, she went back to her room and opened the laptop. The school system had kicked her out for inactivity, so she had to log back in and make several clicks before she could get back to her astronomy grade book.

She made an 82 and almost squealed from her excitement. Now, since she had finished all of the work for her online classes, all she had left to worry about was the final exam for astronomy.

* * *

Mickey looked everywhere but at Rose, "Yeah, I suppose we can have a bite. I don't have too long though." She had run into him by chance after class the week before her final exam.

They stepped into the cafe and she stood in line to order with him following reluctantly, keeping space between them. "Why is this so weird," she postulated.

"A big idiot, me," he banged his closed fist on his forehead. "On Martha's and my first date, I think I was still hung up on you. Kept telling her stories about you or how you'd like this or that."

Rose punched him in the arm before moving up the line, breaking the ice between them. "Mickey, you're not supposed to talk about other women on your first date!"

"Oi, what about me gran? Being that I live with her and all."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to talk about living with your grandmother while on your first date with an attractive woman?"

Mickey opened his mouth a couple of times, "You might have a point there," he smirked at her. They erupted into genuine laughter, and then it was Rose's turn to order.

The conversation continued after Mickey joined Rose at the table she had chosen away from the windows and other customers. "So you talked about me on your first date and," Rose prodded.

"Oh. Well, she had kind of a reaction after I brought you up a few times. Kind of got quiet. I finally realized that I had been daft and eventually I salvaged it. Obviously."

"Are you happy?"

"But another thing," he started studying his chips intensely, "when I saw your party, me and her weren't actually together."

"You're broken up?"

"At the time yeah, but now we're sort of engaged," he peeked up to gauge her reaction.

She grinned at him, "Shut up!"

"Hold it, I said sort of. It's not official, she put off answering me because I asked so badly," he chuckled. "See, we were broken up when I asked her!"

"Oh Mickey, why would you do that?"

"I panicked when she told me she was pregnant."

Rose's mouth fell open into an O of surprise and she was speechless.

"She had called me and asked to meet up; I didn't know what for. So she told me that she had just found out and it was mine. While we were having dinner I kept thinking about my dad not being around and she was in the middle of telling me about telling her mum and dad and I just blurted out 'marry me.' And then she made a face at me sort of like you're making now."

She shook off her awe, "But you are back together now?"

"Yeah, and yes, I am very happy. I'm going to be a dad. I'm looking at a place for all of us and Gran. Gran loves her and is excited about the baby. My son's father will always be there for him, unlike mine."

"Oh wow, so you've had the test to see that it's a boy?"

"Nah, too early for that just yet. She's only nine weeks."

"What makes you think it's going to be a boy then silly - it could very well be a girl, or even twins. Oh what if it's three?" She laughed again.

"You're hilarious," he deadpanned. "Bite your tongue woman, I'm having a hard enough time adjusting to one - and it is just one, she had a sonogram to see the heartbeat. Gran has a feeling it's a boy, and that's good enough for me."

"Aww sweet Gran. I need to come visit."

Mickey smiled back at her, "I think she'd love that. So tell me about how you've been."

"I'm all on track to graduate in December. Starting to put my resume out there, hoping for a summer internship to get my foot in the - " Rose stopped, feeling eyes on her. When she looked up she saw John staring at her with a blank look on his face. When she met his eyes, he whirled around and exited the cafe. "I'll be back," she informed Mickey as she attempted to chase John down.

"John," she shouted. He walked faster and she jogged to catch up but he after he turned the corner and she got around it, she lost him. Glumly, she returned to the cafe with Mickey.

"What was that all about?"

She slumped back with her arms folded, frowning, "Someone I want to date, and who wants to date me, but we have to wait until the semester is over. I couldn't catch him though."

"Why do you have to wait," he asked.

"He's the teacher's aide in my astronomy class. It would be a conflict of interest. He didn't seem too happy about seeing us together here."

He patted her arm, "If this bloke doesn't wait to hear your explanation, then he ain't worth it."

"There's one more class period, then the final. It would be hard to discuss this in front of other students and the professor," Rose pouted.

"So slip him a note," Mickey suggested.

"Yeah, yeah. Good idea," she replied.

* * *

Rose had her note ready, but John wasn't in attendance for the last class period or the final exam.

She was having trouble sleeping again - thinking of John while she was worried that he had avoided her on purpose was not making things easy. She was also frustrated with herself for being upset and focused on a man. She was a strong, independent, modern woman. _Who needs a man_ , she thought to herself. She was surprised to discover that the answer came back at her from her subconscious, _You don't, but you need this one_. Rose didn't understand why, but she felt that this voice was correct.

* * *

On May 24th, Rose's phone was practically glued to her hand. She kept unlocking it to check for missed calls she knew she didn't have, and ended up having to charge it around dinner.

He didn't call. She had passed her class, but he didn't call.


	4. Doctor's Note

Her disappointment at not receiving the anticipated call from John had slowly morphed into anger overnight. Lacking sleep and an outlet for her anger, she rowed with her mother twice in the thirty minutes that their paths crossed while Rose dragged feet in getting ready for work that morning. She fumed over the arguments with her mother on the way to work and planned comebacks to continue the disagreements later. She strode into the Boots store wearing a dark look upon her face.

* * *

Rose slammed the cash drawer shut, dropped the change in the customer's hand, and shoved the bag towards the elderly man. The man huffed and he glanced around the store, his eyes finding a woman with shiny black hair in manager's attire. A satisfied smirk appeared on his face, and he strode away.

Confused because he wasn't heading towards the exit, she followed the man with her eyes and her heart sank as she realized he was about to complain about her service. Or lack thereof, rather. If she were being perfectly honest with herself, she had brought her black mood into work today instead of checking it at the door.

The man chatted animatedly with the manager, but Rose was unable to hear what he said. She felt that she hadn't been outright rude, but she knew that she had been disconnected and unfriendly. She steeled herself as the manager approached her and the elder man glared at her as he passed.

"Rose, can you call Gerard to take over for a little while and meet me in the office," Ms. Glendon asked.

Rose agreed and paged the perky teen and waited for him to show.

Gerard bounced up to her, "What do you need, Rose?"

"Ms. Glendon wants you to cover for me for a while."

"Sure!"

Rose greeted every customer on the way to the office, whether it was to prove to herself that her customer service wasn't _that_ bad or to delay the inevitable was uncertain. She keyed in the door lock code and stepped into the locker room/hallway between the break room and manager's office.

She peeked around the corner and only Ms. Glendon was waiting for her. At least it was only the assistant manager and not the store manager. She coaxed Rose in with a wave of her hand and said, "Close the door and have a seat."

Closing the door couldn't be good - the door was never closed. Rose felt physically ill as she shut the door. She sat down, crossed her legs, and linked her hands together.

"Do you know why I called you in here," the manager asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I haven't had a good attitude today."

"This was actually the second complaint I've received about you today. I let the first one slide because that's not you. Normally you're friendly and helpful; that's what we hear from customers. What's behind this drastic change? Are you unhappy here?"

"No, I'm not unhappy here, I just, well I'm having a bad day. Not much sleep and I argued with my mum. I understand that's no excuse though and I need to leave my problems at home."

Ms. Glendon nodded and reflected for a moment. "I'm not going to give you a warning or send you home this time. I know this behavior is unusual for you, but I hope you can put it away and provide the best customer service possible."

"Yes, ma'am."

After checking her watch, Ms. Glendon began, "It's a little early, but I'm going to let you go on your break and I hope that when you come back, you will be ready to work at the same level we've come to expect from you. And if you need someone to talk to, I am here, even if it's personal. Okay?"

"Right, thank you. Really, I will be my old self when I get back," Rose promised.

" _Call for a manager on line 2,_ " Gerard's voice interrupted over the intercom.

"It never ends does it," Rose offered, smiling.

Ms. Glendon smiled, "It doesn't," she agreed as she picked up the phone receiver and pushed a button.

Rose left the office and went to her locker. She fiddled with the combination, doing it incorrectly once before it relented and let her in.

Her phone display lit up, indicating an incoming call from a number that wasn't in her contacts. "Bugger," she muttered to herself as the display changed to _Missed Call._ Deciding to wait until she was outside the store before she tried to call them back, she replied to the text messages from her mother and Macy on the way out. As she crossed the threshold, the voicemail icon popped up. She tapped the speed dial for voicemail and placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello… Rose," a voice croaked, It's John." The blood rushed to her ears and she plopped down on the bench outside, her knees mysteriously forgetting how to stand. "I was hoping to call you yesterday, but I've only just regained my ability to speak without significant pain." His voice did sound strained and he cleared his throat. "I wasn't sure if I should text yesterday, but I probably would have today if I still couldn't talk," he rambled. "Anyway, I… I hope we can still chat." He gave the number, but the caller ID had already seen to that. "Take care, Rose Tyler."

She ended the call to her voicemail box and navigated to her recent call log and hit dial without thinking. She punched the end call button repeatedly and groaned when she realized she had no idea what to say. Heart beating furiously, she redialed and took a deep breath. Eyes squeezed shut, she heard one ring, then he answered.

"Hello."

"Hi, it's- it's me, er Rose," she fumbled.

"Yes, I know," he said. She could hear the smile on his face through his voice.

They were both silent for a while, then Rose started, "So, I thought you weren't going to call after you saw me with my friend at the cafe and then you weren't in class," she blurted out, then cursed herself internally.

The line was quiet for a few seconds and then he said, "I'm sorry. There's no excuse for the cafe scene. I wasn't even feeling ill yet, so I can't blame it on that," he sighed.

There was an awkward silence. Rose broke it, "You mentioned not being able to talk. Are you sick or was there a lot of shouting involved?"

"The morning of the last class I woke up with a sore throat, which ended up being strep throat instead of just a cold. I've finally been to the clinic and received antibiotics. Still hurts a bit."

"Well, if it still hurts, then maybe you shouldn't be talking right now," she offered.

"But I want to talk to you right now," he countered with a flirtatious tone.

"You hardly know anything about me," she noted. She almost added that she didn't know much about him, but reasoned that he didn't know much about himself either and bit back the comment.

"All the more reason for us to speak!" he exclaimed. "Let me think. Hobbies? What do you like? What do you do? Piano? Pets? Knitting?"

Rose smiled to herself. "No, none of that. Mostly I'm so busy working and trying to pass my courses that I don't have time for hobbies. I watch the telly with my mum and try to spend some time with my friends. What do you do when you're not looking up at the stars?"

"Hmm, I guess mostly same as you. Working for Dr. Conlon, working on my self-study course. I have a few mates I socialize with. Oh, and there's uh -" he hemmed, "nevermind."

"Oh go on! What else?"

"You'll think it's silly."

"Come off it. You can't start saying something, then not say it," she teased.

He sighed, "Okay, but promise you won't take the piss out?"

"I promise nothing," she returned.

"Of course not." He paused, "I have the most fantastic dreams, ever since I first remember. I started writing them down and... I was thinking I'd like to make a novel of them some day."

"Wow," she said. "That's actually kind of neat." She could hear the sigh of relief over the line.

* * *

Rose floated through the rest of her shift. They had a date scheduled next week, both to ensure that he felt better and was no longer contagious. Her mind focused on nothing else during her downtime except the conversation.

When she got off, she had a text message from John.

" _Hi. Hope the rest of your shift went well. :)_ "

They texted back and forth while she rode the bus home. Upon entering the flat, Rose found her mother in the kitchen, assembling a casserole.

Jackie glanced up and began, "If you're about to start round two you'll have to take a rain check; I'm too tired."

She hugged her mother from behind, "What's for dinner?"

"Just a casserole from the leftover chicken from last night," she answered.

"Mum?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry for being a brat this morning."

"I know, Love. Thanks," she said, patting Rose on her arms still linked around her.

* * *

A few days later, Rose was busy sorting through a few dozen lipsticks to stock them when someone called to her.

"Excuse me, miss? I need some help."

She turned to find John standing behind her, attempting to look serious. Playing along, she inquired, "What can I do for you?"

He held up two compacts. "Which rouge goes best with my skin tone? I like the 'Iced Cappuccino' because it's sounds yummy, but there's something about the 'Rock N Rose' that speaks to me."

"Neither, mate. I recommend the 'Pretty Peach.'" She laughed and he broke into a silly grin.

"I couldn't wait to see you again," he confided.

"You could have always asked me to send a picture," Rose suggested.

"Quite right, however, I think it would have made me even more anxious to see you."

"Not that I'm complaining, mind, but we're on for tomorrow night, aren't we?" she asked, worried that she'd gotten her days mixed up.

"Oh, yes, absolutely.

* * *

She shut the door of the flat and leaned back against it, face flushed. It had been a wonderful date, no doubt the best first date she's ever had and was quite possibly the best date she'd ever been on. She hadn't even told anyone she was going out with John, afraid of jinxing it, but now she wanted to share each and every detail.

"Rose? Is that you darling?"

Might as well get this part over with. Her mum would be full of questions, but then she would be free to dissect the details with Paula and perhaps Shareen.

"Yeah, Mum, I'm home."

"You've got a letter from your school here." Jackie passed the envelope to her, waiting expectantly.

"Thanks." She looked down at the envelope and its official school seal. She was suddenly afraid to read the contents, afraid that someone had found out that she kissed the TA of her astronomy class, afraid that her grade would be disputed. Realizing her mother was still there and that she no longer felt like talking about her date with John, she said, "Can I help you?"

"Open it, what does it say?"

She shoved the letter in per purse. "It's probably nothing. I already got my grades. That's what counts, right?"

"You look nice, have you been out with friends? On a date?" Jackie pried.

Trying to keep herself calm, Rose responded, "I had a little fun, yeah. I want to get changed, though." Jackie moved out of the way to allow her entry.

When she entered her room, instead of changing, she plopped down at her desk and took the crumpled letter out of her purse. Taking a deep breath, she tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper. She began to laugh.

"Mum!" She shouted, knowing her mother was probably hovering outside of her door.

The door opened and her mother came in. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, It's just a letter from Dr. Conlon, my astronomy professor, congratulating me for my improvement in the class."

"Isn't that the one you were worried about?"

"Yep. Thanks to J -" she caught herself, "thanks to my study group, I managed to bring my grade up from failing."


End file.
